Car thief jailed for role in two knife-point robberies in the same Bassetlaw village

Joshua Whiteley, aged 22, acted as a lookout while two other men banged on the windows and doors of a house on Hesley Road, Harworth, at around 4.30am on October 15, 2022.

One of his accomplices brandished a machete and told the occupant to throw down the keys to his £75,000 Audi, or the door would be broken down and he would be killed, Judge Julie Warburton told Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, June 29.

Whitley then drove the car away and ditched the tracker in the Bradford area of Yorkshire, but at 6.10am he was involved in a road traffic collision and tried to blame the other driver.

He walked to a petrol station where he bought a lighter, a jerrycan of fuel and paper, and torched the car, but he was later identified by CCTV.

He later lied about his involvement and claimed he owed a drug debt. His victim said he “feels as if his life has been taken over” and "strangled by the incident”.

Whiteley was on bail when he committed a “virtually identical offence” on Bridlington Court, Harworth, on November 14 last year.

Another man brandished a Rambo knife, demanded the keys to the occupant’s Mercedes E35, and shouted: "Give me your f****** car keys and I won't f****** cut you."

This time their victim called 999 while Whiteley tried to break into the property through the French doors with a screwdriver. The police arrived quickly and he fled over a fence, discarding his clothing, the court heard.

The occupant didn't know if the robbers had broken in until he opened the front door to police, the court heard.

He described himself as "always on tenterhooks" and he has taken to barricading his French doors, asking "Why was I targeted?"

Whiteley was identified by CCTV and arrested ten days later.

The court heard he also stole an unlocked Range Rover from a Tesco car park in Bridlington, sparking a 19-mile police chase in which he reached speeds of over 110mph, overtook HGVs on bends and forced oncoming vehicles to take evasive action.

The pursuit ended when he hit a road stinger on the B1230, veering across a pavement and into a field, and writing off the £10,000 vehicle. He was caught after a two-hour search.

He has previous convictions for burglaries in 2018 and 2021, and has served two years in a Young Offenders Institute, the court was told.

On Thursday, Judge Warburton noted his remorse, immaturity and the fact he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in a prison cell.

Whiteley, of Britannia Road, Morley, Leeds, admitted robbery, arson, attempted aggravated burglary, and dangerous driving.

He was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison. He was also banned from driving for total of 109 months and can’t drive again until he passes a re-test.